Oil seal



Aug. 14, 1934- R. w. CHANDLER.

OIL SEAL Filed March 17, 1933 minedu' Patented Aug. '14, I934 I 1 970 165 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OIL SEAL Robert W. Chandler, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Graton & Knight Company, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 1'], 1933, Serial No. 6631,8351 31 claim. (or. as i) The present invention relatesto oil seals, and bellows or diaphragm to allow the sealing pormore particularly to self-contained units of this tion of the gasket'to follow slight eccentricities character which are designed for insertion in of the shaft within its bearing without losing encompassing-relation to a rotating shaft or sealing engagement therewith.

s the like along which oil, grease or other liquid Referring particularly to the drawing, it will 50 or gas seepage normally takes place. be observed from an inspection of Fig. 3 that the The purpose and object of the invention is housing member is first made as a drawn metal to produce a selfcontained seal comprising a cup 10, having a generally cylindrical periphery flexible sealing gasket secured in a containing 12 partially closed at the bottom by a radial l metallic housing formed as a unitary construcflange 14, which, however, is provided with an tion'and maintained within a reasonably close opening 16 substantially larger than the shaft tolerance as to dimensions in order that it shell to be passed therethrough. The sides 12 of the fib o Within e b i g hOu n cup are of such length as to permit the open h this and other Obj in View, the variend to be turned backwardly on itself to provide l ous features of the invention consists in certain for clamping the outer portion of a gasket renovel features of construction, combinations and ceivedand assembled therein. The outer pearrangements of parts hereinafter described and riphery of the housing accurately fits the claimed, the advantages of which will be obvious shaft housing within which the grease retainer to those skilled in the art from the following is received. Cooperating with the one-piece 2o description. housing is a flexible gasket of leather or the like, 75

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the having an outer clamping portion 18 which is preferred form of the invention, Fig. 1 represents received within a circumferential space 20 an elevation'partly in section of the seal asformed in the housing and clamped therein by sembly. Fig. 2 is a sectionoi the assembly on. the rearwardly turned end 22 of the housing, as

25 the line 22 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a detail indicated. The outer or clamping end of the illustrating the cup drawn housing member begasket is generally cylindrical, and. lies within fore insertion and assembly of the sealing gasket the space provided by the outer wall of the houstherein. ing. The inner or free end of the gasket indi- The seal shown in the illustrated embodiment cated at 2c is also generally cylindrical, and sur- 30 of the invention comprises generally a onerounds the shaft in encompassing relation therepiece metallic housing member of generally yto. This may be termed for convenience the lindricfll n partially closed at one end sealing end of the gasket, and due to its axial by an inwardly extending and generally radial projection lengthwise of the shaft, aflo'rds suflifi c and h v n at its pp end a DO cient boring area to adequately seal against tion turned inwardly and rearwa d y in a ge seepage. The clamping and sealing ends of the erally axial direction to provide a circumferengasket, whether in alignment or offset with rei pa r eivin an c mpin the ou er lation to one another in an axial direction, are p o of 81 fl b gasket memberhe fleX connected by an integral fold or bend which ible gasket member, which is preferably and permits the necessary flexibility and movement to co e y d of leather equivalent of the inner sealing end with the encompassed ter a is p ov ded w th an oute clamping porshaft. In the actual embodiment of the invention' of generally cylindrical contour extending tion this is conveniently secured by molding the a i lly 0 th hou in n si n d o e regasket in generally U-shaped form, the bottom ceived and clamped within the circumferential of the u indicated t 2 forming th connecting as space provided in the housing. The gasket membend, and the clamping or sealing ends of the h r is also p d d with a nne and axially gasket forming the legs or the u. The free or extending sleeve of reduced diameter which ensealing end of the gasket is maintained in seal- COmPaSSES the rotating Shaft nd seals against ing contact by a coiled garter spring 30 or the leakage of grease, this sealing engagement belike, which surrounds the free end of the gasket so ing maintained in general by a simple formv opposite the sealing area and which may be reof spring surrounding the reduced sealing portained in approximate position by slightly uption of the gasket. The gasket is preferably setting the free end of the gasket or ring. at 32. made as an integral member with the sealing It will be evident that the spring is maintained and clamping portions connected by a fold or in assembled relationship by the rearwardly to bend which serves much in the manner of a. turned portion 22 of the housing, which at the same time clamps and locks the outer end of the gasket in assembled relationship. The mid portion or bend of the gasket may or may not bear against the radial flange 14, which tends to substantially close this end of the unit.

The unit as a whole surrounds a shaft indicated at 34, which rotates within a housing 36.

What is claimed is:

As an article of manufacture, a self-contained seal comprising a one-piece cupped housing having a cylindrical wall and a rearwardly and inwardly curled portion formed at the open end of the housing to provide a circumferential sealing space adjacent the cylindrical wall, a flexible sealing ring of generally U-shaped form having an ouwr axially extending portion concentric with the wall of the housing and an inner sealing portion extending axially of the shaft with a return bend integrally connecting the two portions adjacent the cupped end, a spring engaging with the free or sealing portion of the ring to maintain sealing engagement, and the inwardly curled portion of the housing at its free edge engaging with the outer concentric portion of the ring and the spring to clamp the ring securely to the cylindrical wall of the housing andmaintain the spring in assembled relation.

ROBERT W. CHANDLER. 

